Lee’s Summit, Liberty, Kearney, Platte Co. win Missouri football district titles

Friday was district championships night for high school football across the Show Me State.

Teams played some close games for those titles, too. Winners stayed alive in the prep postseason.

Here’s a look at some of Friday evening’s action in playoff games across the Kansas City metro.

Platte County 29, Rockhurst 22

Since the moment districts were announced early in the season, Friday’s district final was earmarked as a marquee contest: Rockhurst had dropped to Class 5, into the same district as defending Class 5 champion Platte County.

And the showdown lived up to the hype.

Rockhurst scored a potential game-winning touchdown with 1:47 left. But that was too much time — 1:45 too much — to leave for Rocco Marriott on the other sideline.

Marriott, the likely Kansas City player of the year, and Platte County engineered a game-winning drive in the final seconds to top Rockhurst for the Class 5, District 8 title.

Rockhurst (9-3) took a 22-21 lead with 1:47 remaining. On fourth down, quarterback Garret Miller found tight end Warren Robertson over the middle at midfield. Robertson shelled a tackler and raced to the end zone.

But Marriott and Platte County, who’s closest game this season was a 31-point win over Grain Valley in Week 2, was up to the challenge. Marriott immediately connected with Ty Christopher for a 21-yard gain, then took a keeper up the middle and weaved left for a 12-yard run.

After an incomplete pass, Marriott threw a ball that was deflected back to — himself. The senior James Madison commit ran for nine yards to the 12 with 19 seconds left. The Pirates then rolled Marriott to the right behind a wall of defenders; seeing no open target, Marriott rushed and lunged with Pirates pushing him to the 1.

Just six seconds remained. Instead of going for the field goal, Platte County opted for a try at a TD. Marriott took the snap and crossed the goal line in front of a frenzied crowd. The two-point conversion was good, too.

Platte County (11-0), which hadn’t lost since 2023, trailed 12-0 in the first half after Marriott threw two interceptions. Meanwhile, Rockhurst hit two field goals and a long bomb to Tristan Johnson for 85 yards to lead 12-0.

Marriott and the Pirates got warmed up with a 34-yard TD pass to Christopher with 3:24 left in the third quarter, followed by a stop and a 14-yard TD pass to KU pledge Jack Utz. That made it 13-12 Pirates with 2:13 remaining in the third period.

Rockhurst retook the lead at 15-13 on a 30-yard field goal with 8:03 to play. But Marriott scored on a 10-yard keeper and the two-point conversion to Tres Baskerville made it 21-15 with 3:38 to go.

Platte County will travel to Grain Valley (8-3) in the Class 5 quarterfinals at 7 p.m. next Friday.

Lee’s Summit 42, North Kansas City 21

It’s not how you start, its how you finish. And Lee’s Summit is finishing strong.

Lee’s Summit, which endured numerous early season injuries en route to an 0-4 start, raced past North Kansas City for the Missouri Class 6, District 8 title in Northtown.

Preston Hatfield ran for two touchdowns, threw for two TDs and ran a kickoff back for a score. Karsten Fiene added two TDs, one receiving and one rushing.

Lee’s Summit (7-4) won its seventh straight game and will face Liberty in the Class 6 quarterfinals.

After Fiene and North Kansas City’s Sam Zinnah traded rushing TDs, Hatfield took a kickoff 95 yards to the house for a 14-7 lead with 6:04 remaining until halftime. Then he took a handoff and lobbed a pass in the right flat to Fiene, who jetted down the sideline for a 98-yard TD and 21-7 Lee’s Summit lead at halftime.

North Kansas City pulled to within 7, at 21-14, on Kobe Rhymes’ TD plunge. But Hatfield again took a snap and fired a scoring pass — this time to twin brother Peyton Hatfield from 21 yards out.

Preston Hatfield kept trucking for a 13-yard TD that made it 35-14 to open the final quarter. And then he scored yet another TD to cap the Tigers’ scoring.

Lee’s Summit plays host to Liberty (10-1) at 7 p.m. next Friday as the postseason continues.

Liberty 45, Liberty North 31

Liberty kept on streaking in Friday night’s district final.

The Blue Jays won their fourth straight game against rival Liberty North, clinching the Class 6, District 7 crown. Andrew Olson ran for 168 yards and a touchdown, while Colt Nolin added 99 yards and two scores as Liberty rolled up 309 rushing yards.

Liberty (10-1) advanced to its first semifinal under coach Chad Frigon last year and now stands a win away from consecutive final four appearances.

The Blue Jays built a 31-7 lead after two TDs each from Nolin and QB Connor Hatfield. But Liberty North — which had a six-game winning streak vs. LHS before the Jays’ current run — drew to 31-17 on a nine-yard TD run by Zemar Cheatam.

Cheatam finished with a game-high 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Liberty North got the ball back, but then Logan Sutton picked off an Eagles pass and returned the ball 47 yards for a TD that made it 38-17.

Liberty will visit Lee’s Summit (7-4) at 7 p.m. next Friday in the Class 6 quarterfinals.

Kearney 24, Savannah 0

Kearney showed why it’s a favorite to win the Class 4 state title with its usual formula of stout defense and bruising ground game.

The host Bulldogs shut out visiting Savannah to win Class 4, District 8 title Friday. Emmons Corbin rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries. His touchdowns covered 55, 6 and 12 yards.

Meanwhile, Savannah gained just 159 yards as a team.

Kearney (11-0) travels to Warrensburg (8-3) next Saturday, Nov. 22.

Note: Find more scores, playoff brackets and pairings at 810varsity.com.

This story was originally published November 15, 2025 at 12:27 AM.